Readers sound off on the San Diego mayor race

Letters to the editor on the mayor election, for Sept. 27, 2013

City Hall was already in a state of “chaos and paralysis” before my arrival as city attorney in 2004 (“A low-key start to a crucial campaign,” Opinion, Sept. 21).

The city had lost its credit rating and couldn’t enter the bond market; in 2003, the FBI raided City Hall and three council members were indicted on a charge of bribery; in 2004, the city auditor and city manager resigned amid in an investigation into city financial irregularities; and, in 2005, Mayor Dick Murphy resigned.

As legal counsel, we completed the city’s long-delayed audit, leading to the restoration of our credit rating; secured a settlement with the SEC concerning their fraud investigation into city pension disclosures; and prevented the city from issuing now-discredited pension-obligation bonds without a vote of the people.

Were there missteps on my part? Sure. Style is important and my hard-charging approach should have been more tempered.

Michael Aguirre

San Diego

The Sept. 22 editorial (“Let’s meet the candidate(s): Fletcher vs. Fletcher vs. Fletcher”) pillorying Nathan Fletcher’s political party switch claims it to be a “one of a kind” political evolution that could only be carried out by a “slick huckster.” Really? Isn’t the GOP known as the party of President Ronald Reagan, perhaps the most famous party switcher in American history?

Reagan spent several decades as a liberal Democrat, FDR devotee and unabashed social welfare/New Deal supporter. At age 51, Regan switched parties and ideologies, culminating his evolution to staunch conservative Republican and “patron saint” of limited government. Yet you attack Fletcher, 35, for being too much of “a grown man” to switch political parties for any reason other than expedience.

Fletcher’s candidacy scares ultra partisans because he threatens to change a political environment dominated by political extremism. But that’s the same reason the electorate thinks quite highly of him. As mayor, he would bridge the liberal/conservative, labor/business, developer/environmentalist divides and elevate our city to heights it has never before seen — just when we need it most.

Michael Zucchet

Ocean Beach

The Sept. 23 U-T highlights the high number of donors who have contributed $1,000 to their favorite candidates for mayor. These big-money donors are making these contributions for good government and not for buying access to the eventual winner. If you believe that, I have a bridge to sell to you.

San Diegans deserve better. We deserve public financing or clean elections, where non-wealthy and non-special interest candidates have a chance to serve, and where all San Diegans have a chance to be represented.

John Hartley

Normal Heights

I’m just itching for my special election absentee ballot to arrive.

As a former Northern California activist for the Democratic Party, labor issues and military causes, I voted for Nathan Fletcher during the 2012 primaries. My impression was Fletcher was a successful Marine veteran participating in the political process who was handed a raw deal. He never betrayed the Republican Party; the party betrayed him by endorsing someone else for mayor.

While I believe Kevin Faulconer, David Alvarez and Fletcher are trustworthy, honorable men, it was Fletcher alone who demonstrated courage and decisiveness when he stood up publicly declaring his candidacy first.